U.S. Supreme Court rejects fossil fuel industry effort to remove protection for threatened polar bears

Global warming seen as main threat to Arctic predators Staff Report Endangered Species Act protection for polar bears will remain in place following a U.S. Supreme Court decision late last week to reject an attempt by the fossil fuel industry to overturn the 2010 listing. At issue was a decision by the U.S. Fish and

Feds finalize polar bear conservation plan

Outlook not good as sea ice dwindles Staff Report A federal recovery plan for endangered polar bears won’t halt the threat of climate change, but it could help dwindling populations of the great Arctic predators persist in the small patches of habitat that will remain after global warming melts most of the polar sea ice.

Reaching Paris climate goals would help polar bears survive

New research suggests that capping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius would lower chances of big population decline by preserving critical sea ice Staff Report Now that the world has a clear target for limiting global warming, scientists say they show how how achieving the goal would protect at least some ecosystems and vulnerable species

Can caribou and goose eggs help polar bears survive global warming?

New study suggests land-based food sources may help polar bears stave off starvation as sea ice melts Staff Report FRISCO — Scientific discussions over the fate of polar bears in the global warming may heat up as a new study found that some of the Arctic predators may be able to survive by eating caribou

Climate: Not a lot of options for polar bears

New study shows food shortages will catch up to the Arctic predators Staff Report FRISCO — When it comes to finding food as Arctic sea ice melts, polar bears don’t exactly have a lot of options. That’s one of the main reasons the Arctic predators are under the global warming gun, and a new study

Feds release draft polar bear recovery plan

‘Polar bear conservation requires a global commitment to curb the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere …’ Staff Report FRISCO — The only thing that will save polar bears in the long run is a big cut in global greenhouse gas emissions, federal biologists said last week as the rolled out a draft recovery

Climate change: New polar bear prognosis not good, as feds prepare to publish recovery plan

‘Addressing sea ice loss will require global policy solutions …’ Staff Report FRISCO — Loss of Arctic sea ice caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases remains as the primary threat to polar bears, U.S. Geological Survey researchers said after updating their research models. Even if greenhouse gas emissions drastically reduced, sea ice will continue

Study: Polar bears can’t survive on berries and bird eggs

Arctic sea ice decline is bad news for apex predators Staff Report *Click here for more Summit Voice stories on polar bears and climate change FRISCO — The idea that polar bears may somehow adapt to the rapid loss of Arctic sea ice by switching to land-based food sources isn’t supported by science, according to

How will Arctic sea ice meltdown affect marine mammals?

‘These animals require sea ice …’ Staff Report FRISCO — Enacting more endangered species regulations isn’t enough to reduce global warming threats to ice-dependent marine mammals in the Arctic, scientists say. In a new report published in the journal Conservation Biology, a research team called for better monitoring, increased cooperation and more study of how

Climate: Genetic study shows polar bears chasing ice

Arctic predators looking for areas with reliable ice Staff Report FRISCO — Polar bears are heading farther north as Arctic sea ice dwindles, scientists said this week, publishing the results of a new study that took a close look at the genetics of the 19 recognized subpopulations of polar bears. The research found that those